


Room 105

by susushi



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: 707 Route Spoilers, Angst, College AU, Deviates From Canon, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Romance, a competitive 707 and possessive unknown, a possible 707/reader/saeran love triangle??, but nothing explicit/detailed, college! 707, hacker! reader, mc is kinda annoying..., mc is separate from the reader, reader is a better hacker than 707 and it IRKS him, reader works for mint eye, secret 01 and 02 spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-01-17 19:45:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12372744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/susushi/pseuds/susushi
Summary: "This code..." 707 sat back in shock, as Vanderwood peered over his shoulder. "Is that even an official coding language? Can you read it?""It's...one I've seen before. But there's only one person I know that used this coding language...in fact she wrote it herself. I knew her back in college. She was good at hacking. Really good. You know how I said that back in college we used to build apps and try to hack into one another's? Well...I couldn't hack hers. And she could hack mine."707 had always wondered if he would ever meet the first girl he loved again. He didn't expect to encounter her as his enemy years later- a top-ranking hacker under Mint Eye.[707 x Reader]





	1. Dilemma

"Get up, you slob."

Seven opened his eyes, blinking a few times. Vanderwood stood over him, an empty bag of Honey Buddha Chips in his hand, held at arm's length. "Did you hear me? How can you possibly live like this? The client is still waiting. You need to finish this job quickly, so hurry and get back to work."

Seven sat up slowly from his couch, brushing chip pieces off his shoulder and an empty bottle of PhD Pepper from his lap. It fell to the ground with a  _thunk_ as he stood, walking over to where his chair was, pulling it back and sitting down. He stretched his arms in front of him, before switching his computer on. As it whirred to life, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.  _Haeun♥ has entered the chatroom._  Seven felt a smile grow on his face as he opened up the RFA app, reclining back in his chair.

 

> **707 has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> **_Haeun♥:_ ** _GOD SEVEN IS HERE!!!!_
> 
> Seven's smile grew wider.
> 
> _**707:** YES, HAVE NO FEAR, FOR I HAVE ARRIVED!_
> 
> **_707:_ ** _lololol_
> 
> **_707:_ ** _did you eat breakfast_
> 
> _**Haeun♥:** no, i haven't ;;; but it's okay, i will eat your heart instead ♥  
>  _
> 
> **_707:_ ** _m-my heart ?!?!?!_
> 
> **_707:_ ** _you can't!!! i need it to hack ..._
> 
> **_707:_ ** _i'll eat yours first...nyam~_
> 
> _**Haeun♥:**_ _god seven is eating my heart ,,, kya~_ _  
> _
> 
> **Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:**...this chat log..._
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** i made a mistake entering;;  _
> 
> **Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom.**

 

"Hey. Seven." The sound of Vanderwood's voice made Seven's head snap up quickly. "What's wrong with your computer?" He leaned on the back of Seven's chair, a hand motioning to the screen. 

Seven glanced over at the monitor, his eyes widening. Instead of the usual start-up program, the entire screen was covered in a strange code, a warning message displayed in the centre. Seven's hands reached out and began tapping onto the keyboard right away, frantically. 

As he continued typing, trying to decipher the hack and find a source, something about the code struck him as familiar. The way it was written was exceptional, no doubt, but it was the code itself. There was nobody who knew how to write like that, except-

"This code..." 707 sat back in shock, as Vanderwood peered over his shoulder. "Is that even an official coding language? Can you read it?"  
"It's...one I've seen before. But there's only one person I know that used this coding language...in fact she wrote it herself. I knew her back in college. She was good at hacking. Really good. You know how I said that back in college we used to build apps and try to hack into one another's? Well...I couldn't hack hers. And she could hack mine."

Seven felt his face flush as he spoke. He'd always prided himself on being the best of the best- being  _God Seven_ , so naturally his college rival, who matched him in both skill and humour-no, scrap that, was  _better_ at hacking than him- was someone he'd filed away in the back of his mind. She was old news. Or at least it'd seemed that way.

"You couldn't hack her?" Vanderwood's voice was laced with doubt and surprise. "This message is on the RFA server, right?"

"That's right...it's Mint Eye at work again. They're the ones who were sending the weird emails to all of the members. So-"

"That girl from your college is under Mint Eye? The one who you couldn't hack is attacking your RFA company?" Vanderwood sighed in exasperation. "Since that much would be impossible for you, you're better off sticking to the agency work. Hey-" He struck 707, who was muttering under his breath, at the back of the head. "Listen to me. Whatever is happening with RFA isn't more important than this. It's a matter of life and death for both of us, so screw your head on straight and finish this." He paused, then added a firm " _Now"._

Right on cue, Vanderwood's phone rang. He gestured to Seven, reminding him of his warning, then pulled the phone out and headed outside to speak. "Yes, boss?" 

As his voice grew more distant, Seven thought to himself. "She's...under Mint Eye? This doesn't make sense." His old classmate didn't seem like the type to work for an organisation like this. She might have been a bit cold at first, but overall, she was a kind person, and thoughtful too. There was no reason for someone like her to work for Mint Eye. Seven felt a blush creep onto his face at the thought of his old classmate, but brushed them away whilst ruffling his hair. Those feelings didn't matter now. Haeun was what mattered. A buzz from his phone caught his attention again. He entered the chatroom on the RFA app, where Jaehee, Yoosung and Jumin were already logged in.

 

> _**Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang, I assume everything is going well._
> 
> _**Jaehee Kang:** Yes~ Everything is fine~  
>  _
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_ ** _You seem happy, Jaehee! Are you feeling free with Jumin away on his trip? ^^_
> 
> **_Jaehee Kang:_ ** _That is correct._
> 
> **_Jaehee Kang:_** _The scenery outside my office window appears to be even more beautiful today._
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_** _Wow...so direct...so this is what having a job is like, right??;; I'm scared to graduate..._
> 
> **_Jumin Han:_** _...I am still here._
> 
> **707 has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** Seven! You're here! _
> 
> **_Jaehee Kang:_ ** _Hello, Luciel._
> 
> _**707:**...hi ^^  
>  _
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_** _what did you leave so suddenly for earlier? you sent haeun into a panic;;_
> 
> _**707:** ah...im sorry. but something really bad has happened._
> 
> _**707:** it's the hacker. they got into my computer and temporarily took control of the RFA server.  
>  _
> 
> _**707:**   i think they're trying to attack the security around rika's apartment too, but i'm not too sure yet._
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_** _!!!_
> 
> _**Jaehee Kang:** Will Haeun be safe? Luciel?  
>  _
> 
> **_Jumin Han:_** _Rika's apartment?_
> 
> **_707:_ ** _yes. it's mint eye again. i'm going to check what damage they've done._
> 
> **_707:_** _i'll be back. don't worry about haeun. i'll keep her safe._
> 
> **707 has left the chatroom.**

 

Seven looked at his screen, then began typing again. That girl was better than him-  _was_. He'd worked hard to get to this level today. He was certain that he could surpass her. Haeun's safety depended on it. How could he call himself a Defender of Justice if he didn't even try? He read through the code, noting patterns and decoding as quickly as he could. She'd either gotten sloppier with her coding since college, or he'd gotten even better- most likely the latter. After all, he was God Seven. Vanderwood was wrong, too. Decoding would be harder than usual, but not impossible.

As he typed, Seven noticed something was wrong. The algorithm for the security system in Rika's apartment - implemented by himself, at Rika's behest - had been changed. In other word's, somebody else had taken control of it, leaving Haeun completely vulnerable inside. Seven felt his heart stop. "This- the security system...it's been tampered with?"

He momentarily hesitated, eyes latching back to the door. Vanderwood hadn't returned. Seven pulled out his phone, typed a message out to Haeun, then slid his phone into his pocket, and gathered all of his equipment. He was going to protect Haeun himself. 

_**Two Years Earlier** _

Slowly, you were falling back into routine.

The process was long and difficult, but you welcomed it with open arms. A tiring routine was better than no routine at all. No routine meant being left alone with your own thoughts. Taking a year-long leave from college had taken its toll on you, and you were ready to step back into the clockwork of everyday life. You'd only attended college for a week before the incident, so you wouldn't be well acquainted with anyone in your class, either. Not that it mattered. Relationships were frail, and often meaningless. You just wanted to graduate and resolve the mystery that had been clouding your mind for nearly 13 months.

The campus was quiet as you walked through falling leaves. September was a busy month, but at least the place didn't seem it.

As you entered room 105, you realised just how wrong you were.

There didn't appear to be more than around 17 people in your Advanced Programming class, yet the chatter was unbearable. You slunk to the back of the room quietly, hoping nobody would take notice of you. After settling down into your seat, you pulled out your laptop and an orange. The laptop was an old generation model that had seen better days, with the keyboard lettering almost entirely faded due to your erratic typing, and a few nicks here and there. Still, it did the job just fine, and you didn't have the time to learn how to program on a newer interface. You were skilled enough without all the fancy hardware.

As you began to peel the orange, a figure pulled out the chair beside you, dropping their bag onto the table. You tensed up in surprise and turned your head, taking note of the guy who was unpacking his stuff next to you. He had rich-looking vermillion hair, most of it covered by a grey beanie. His features were sharp, with a pronounced nose and a well-defined jaw. As you watched him, he pulled out a bottle of PhD Pepper and an expensive looking laptop - lightweight, but clearly made for heavy-duty programming. By the time you'd finished taking this all in, you had been staring long enough for him to notice. He turned and met your gaze, his glasses framing sharp golden eyes. His expression was unreadable. 

Turning suddenly, you felt your face flush, and you chided yourself for looking like a fool on your first day back at college. As you continued to peel your orange, the boy spoke up. "That's a nice laptop."

Your blush grew deeper. Was he making fun of you intentionally? Sure, it wasn't some fancy high-tech gadget that everyone else in the class seemed to be sporting. But it was your treasure, and it worked perfectly for you. Sneaking a glance at the boy's laptop, you felt yourself boil up with anger. Who was he to judge your hardware? The boy seemed to notice your aggravated expression, a small smile on his face. "I'm not trying to be rude, you know. That's the 2006 Bell laptop, right? I knew a guy with one of those. Said it was one of the most reliable laptops he's ever used." Your anger dissipated as you looked over at him again, mouth parted slightly. "Oh, I-"

"It's okay!" The boy cracked into a wide smile. "Misunderstandings happen! There's no point in feeling angry over them. Where did you get that model, by the way? I heard they were discontinued a while ago."

A smile tugged at your lips as you eyed your laptop again. It had just finished starting up. "It was my dad's. He said the same thing...about them being reliable. It's never failed me. Well. Except for here and there. But it happens." You shrugged and felt yourself fill with warmth as the boy let out a small laugh. 

"I'm Luciel, by the way." He leaned forward onto the desk until his head was resting in his crossed arms, as he watched you. "Were you here last year? I don't think I saw you around."

You froze but then relaxed upon meeting Luciel's amiable gaze. "I...no. I took leave for a year because of some circumstances." He nodded thoughtfully. You paused, and then told him your name. He smiled softly. "That's cute."

You gave him a small, shy smile in return, but internally, you chastised yourself. What had happened to keeping to yourself until you graduated? One cute, good-natured guy was all it took for that to go out the window. Although, as you watched him type away on his laptop, you couldn't help but feel yourself soften a little. What harm would there be in befriending a guy like Luciel, anyway? Like you said, friendships were frail. After you graduated, you could just discard him and continue with your search. He seemed harmless enough, and you'd never see him again...right?

A couple of rows ahead of you, two classmates watched you and Luciel intently. One of them nudged the other, eyebrows raised. "Hey, are you seeing this? Luciel's actually talking to someone."

_**NOW** _

You stretched, letting out a yawn as you glanced at your phone. It was just about 1pm- in other words, Saeran would be arriving soon, so you had to get to work. The beeping of computers around you didn't distract you at all as you booted up your old laptop and started checking on the RFA server. It was hacked with a coding language that you had written yourself- in other words, one that 707 wouldn't be able to decode without a lot of time and effort. That would serve as the perfect distraction for Saeran to infiltrate the woman's apartment.

Checking 707's progress, you let out a low whistle. He was decoding at a faster rate than you'd expected, meaning he would've already worked out that the security system was compromised. You'd have to let Saeran know so he could speed up the process.

"Hm? He's stopped all of a sudden. What's he doing?" You peered closer at your screen, not noticing the figure behind you.

"[Y/N]." You jumped at the sound of Saeran's voice and spun on your chair where the silver-haired boy was staring at you. "I'm here. I bought these." He set down a bag of oranges on your work table, and they spilled out in front of you.

"Oh,  _nice_. Thanks, Ray." You started peeling one as Saeran winced. "Don't call me that."

"Come on, don't be such a downer. Oh- by the way, I think Luciel has figured out that I've changed some of the algorithms at that woman's apartment. You should leave tonight. I'll try and stop him from changing anything until you get there, but once you do it's all on you." Saeran's demeanour changed at the mention of 707's name, and he tensed. 

"I still don't understand how you went to college with... _him_. I would've strangled him with my own bare hands by now."

"He was a cutie back then!" You let out a laugh, whereas Saeran shot a glare in your direction. "Hey. I'm just stating facts. Although his skill has gotten a lot better since college. He's still no me, obviously. But I think he's on par with-"

"Stop talking about him." Saeran snapped, ignoring that he had been contributing to the conversation. "I get sick just hearing his disgusting name.  _Luciel_? It's gross."

"You know, you've never actually told me why you hate him. Just that you want to destroy him, kill him, strangle him, blah blah blah. It makes me think of what he could've ever done to you. He didn't seem like that type in college." You hummed thoughtfully but stopped after seeing Saeran's dark expression. "Well, I guess you can never tell with people. If you don't want to talk about him anymore that's fine- but seriously, he's onto us. Don't put off bringing that woman here any longer, otherwise, he's going to thwart your plans. And," you dove your hand into the bag, reaching in and pulling out a fruit. "Orange?"

"No thanks," Saeran muttered, turning towards the door. He paused, as an afterthought, then spoke. "And don't call him cute. It's weird." He pulled his hood over his head and trudged back outside.

You raised one eyebrow as he left, before turning back to your computer screen, a fond smile on your face. "Luciel...it's been a long time, huh? It would've been nice if we'd met differently..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for choosing to read Room 105! First of all, I want to make sure there isn't any confusion- the reader and MC are different characters. MC is a member of RFA and the name I've chosen to give her is Haeun Jung. She still plays the 'normal' role of planning the parties, whereas the reader is a hacker. Also, this takes place in 707's route- so Haeun will be set on romancing him...that is unless someone else steals his heart first!


	2. Confrontation

> **Haeun _♥_ has entered the chatroom.  
>  **
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** haeun!!!!!_
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** i haerd frm seven_
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** are yuo okayd_
> 
> _**ZEN:** typos..;;_
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** playign lolol srry_
> 
> _**ZEN:**  seriously... how can you play at a time like this..;_
> 
> _**ZEN:**  haeun...you must be scared.. have you heard anything from seven?_
> 
> _**Haeun♥** **:** I have...he said he's coming here. I am really scared  >.<_
> 
> _**ZEN:**  he's coming there ?! to you ?!_
> 
> _**ZEN:**  this must be serious then...but it's good that you have him to protect you._
> 
> _**ZEN:** i'm sorry to hear that you're scared T.T if i could i'd be right by your side !_
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** hwo can you shmelessly flirt with hre at this tome lololol_
> 
> _**Yoosung **☆:** **  worse than me, _
> 
> _**ZEN:**  im not flirting. _
> 
> _**ZEN:**  but when did seven leave? he'll be at rika's apartment soon, right? _
> 
> _**Haeun♥** **:** he sent me the message an hour ago, he'll probably be here soon ^^ i'm excited to see my husband!!! _
> 
> _**ZEN:** h-husband?! don't tell me you plan on... _
> 
> _**ZEN:**  no. no. i won't think about it. seven's not that kind of guy. _
> 
> _**ZEN:** ah, my manager is calling me. i have to go. stay safe haeun! _
> 
> _**Yoosung **☆:**  **im leaving too . rare q uest is startign _
> 
> _**Yoosung **☆:**** bye haeun _
> 
> _**Haeun♥:** bye zen ^^ yoosung ^^ _
> 
> **ZEN has left the chatroom.**
> 
> ****Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom.** **
> 
> ****Haeun♥ has left the chatroom.****

-

Seven looked at his watch. An hour and a half had passed since he'd left. Getting rid of Vanderwood's tail wasn't as hard as it seemed, as his robot dog had undertaken the task of doing so; he would've laughed at the thought of it if Haeun wasn't currently in danger. As he drove, the shock of the situation seemed to sink into his body. He gripped the steering wheel of his car and furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

Perhaps this was all a misunderstanding.

After all, there was no actual concrete evidence that you had joined the rankings of Mint Eye. The code belonged to you, that much was obvious, but there was no proof that you were the one behind the screen. For all he knew, you'd probably publicised the coding language that you used or taught it to some asshole who was currently attacking the RFA server. It just didn't add up that somebody like you would do something with so little regard for other people. You were cold the first time Seven spoke to you, but you didn't mask your real personality for too long. Seven had hacked into it well. The person he knew was someone caring, and not someone who'd put a stranger's life in danger.

Seven could feel his face heating up again. Why was he becoming flustered at the thought of you? He knew you were long gone- he hadn't heard your name in nearly a year. Old feelings were just feelings. There was no point in them resurfacing. There would be no reunion because you couldn't be the one behind Mint Eye's schemes.

"She doesn't matter now." Seven spoke the words aloud, even though he was the only one in his car. It was a statement towards himself and nobody else, a way of convincing himself that he truly thought this way. Whether or not he believed his words was an enigma that even he couldn't crack, not at this point.

-

Saeran focused as you spoke to him through his earpiece. He wasn't in a comfortable position, perched outside the newest RFA member's living room window, several floors above the ground. He shifted as you explained how to break in, and tensed up when you speculated that Luciel would be arriving soon. Dismissing you, he assured that he'd be arriving back with Haeun quickly, and would be getting his revenge on Luciel, later, before the two could even come face to face. You paused at that and told him to stay safe. The last thing you heard before hanging up was the sound of glass crashing, and you reclined back in your chair, staring blankly at your laptop.

Although Saeran hadn't explicitly told you about his relationship with Luciel, you weren't an idiot. They shared the same face, and although Saeran was a little shorter and less strong than you remembered Luciel to be, the resemblance between them was uncanny. They were clearly twin brothers, now estranged for some reason, with Luciel somehow having wronged Saeran and the latter devoting himself to killing Luciel with his own hands. It all seemed like a soap opera- all it needed was some sappy romance, or better yet, love triangle. At first, the situation seemed comical to you, but the thought of Saeran killing Luciel made you feel sick.

You didn't want Luciel to die. That was the entire reason behind you sending Saeran off as soon as possible. If it raised the chances of Saeran bringing the woman back before he ever had the chance to come into contact with his brother, you'd take it. Although Saeran had told you he wasn't planning on seeing or killing Luciel yet, you weren't so sure. The relationship between them held a lot of weight that even you could see, even if you didn't know what it was. It was just too risky. Saeran would probably despise you for the betrayal, but at least Luciel would be safe. It was the least you could do for him after what he did for you.

Movement from the monitor on your left side startled you. It was CCTV footage from the hallway outside of the woman's (Hye-in? Ha-rin?) apartment. You expected it to be the woman herself, but the flash of vibrant, vermillion hair alerted you. Shit. Luciel was already there? That meant...

You pulled your chair forward and began hurriedly typing away at your keyboard.

-

Seven couldn't believe the situation that he was in right now.

Haeun was currently in the arms of a man who, to anyone else, would look like a crazy person. The pink and white hair and mint eyes would be enough to send a chill down anyone's spine, but Seven felt his blood run cold especially at the sight of the man's face. It was Saeran. The person he'd entrusted to the care of V and Rika so long ago was standing just meters in front of him, gun cocked, and Haeun wriggling under the grip of his other hand. 

Prior to Saeran revealing his identity, Seven was almost relieved at the sight of seeing this 'stranger', namely because it wasn't you. Now, though, the revelation of it being someone completely different made his hairs stand on end.

Saeran felt inconvenienced. He had planned on leaving before Luciel could arrive like you'd instructed him to, but here he was, face to face with the person who abandoned him years ago. He felt his blood curdle as anger bubbled up inside him. He hated having to look at Luciel's face. _Disgusting_.

"You...why are you here? You're supposed to be safe...you were supposed to be with them..." Seven fumbled with his words, voice cracking. His mind couldn't seem to process the situation at all. Saeran, in front of him, sneered. "Don't spout bullshit. You left me alone. And now look at you. You've been busy since you left, right?" He motioned the gun towards Haeun, whose eyes seemed to widen even more (if that much was possible) in fear. "Got yourself a pretty girlfriend and everything."

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Haeun sputtered, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. "I...I barely know him. We don't see each other that way! Please don't hurt me..." Saeran raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Would you look at that? Looks like 707 is getting a taste of his own medicine."

Seven felt his heart squeeze at Haeun's words. He should've known he was _that_ disposable. Despite the dull ache in his chest, he began to speak firmly. "Please...Saeran...let her go. We can talk-"

"Talk?" Saeran's eyes seemed to glint. "I don't want to talk. I want you to die." He raised his gun towards Seven, who tensed. "I want to make you regret ever leaving me behind."

 _I already do- every day._ Seven's words began to form on his lips, but the sound of a shrill alarm caught his attention- and the attention of Saeran. 

" _Security system manually activated."  
_

The word 'manually' took both Seven and Saeran by surprise. Seven was wracked with confusion. If Saeran was behind the security system, then who the hell had activated it now? What was with the timing, too? It wasn't someone from RFA, that was for sure. But the security system being activated now meant that Saeran would have to leave. Who would-

Saeran realised it quickly, and in his frustration, roared your name. "That girl...!" He tightened his grip on the gun, before seeing Seven's eyes widen at his outburst.  _Fuck_. Seven almost opened his mouth to speak, but before Saeran could correct himself, Haeun bit down on his arm, hard. He stumbled back, holding the bite, shocked. Haeun dashed over to where Seven was, grasping at his arm desperately. "Seven! Help!"  _Stupid woman,_ Saeran thought.

" _Commencing countdown._ " 

There wasn't much time now, and Saeran had failed to secure the woman. Even Seven was warning him to leave, or the entire apartment would explode.  _Would you really let that happen?_  

"Tch." He wasn't staying around to find out.

-

"Seven, are you okay?" Haeun touched his shoulder gently, but Seven shrugged it off, focusing on inspecting the broken window. He'd have to call someone in to repair it. Although, that was the last of his problems. They all seemed to accumulate at once, and now he felt like a heavy weight was on his back. 

His brother, who he thought was safe, was working with the enemy and hated his guts.

Haeun had essentially cast him away instead of trusting him, and now he felt further away from her than ever.

Lastly, the niggling suspicions at the back of his mind, that he didn't want to acknowledge, were all true. You were at Mint Eye. It was an awful way to meet you again, even though he hadn't seen your face. He didn't need to, though. The last puzzle piece had been handed to him by his brother, and now he had the full picture. It was a bitter one, the sweetness long faded.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier." Haeun murmured. Seven didn't turn, but his ears still pricked up. "You're mad about that, right? The truth is-"

"Haeun." Seven's voice was calm, but the melancholy that hung from it was unmistakable. "I can't do this with you right now. I need to take back control of the security system. Then I'm leaving."

The repairman arrived within an hour, commenting on how unusual it was for the glass to have broken in this way. Seven didn't dwell on it. Instead, he turned to distracting himself with taking back control of the security system. From  _your_ grasp. 

Although he was set on blocking out any thoughts of you, he couldn't help but wonder why you activated the system. You must've known Saeran was still there. Mint Eye seemed like an organisation full of evil people, but it looked like things were much more complicated than that. He knew his brother wasn't a bad person, but clearly, there had been some kind of misunderstanding that Seven would have to rectify. And you. You were the last person Seven would expect to see at Mint Eye. You weren't full of hatred, like Saeran, and clearly you still somewhat cared. That much was the truth. So why were you there? It didn't add up.

"Did you know that man?" Haeun spoke again, after a moment. Seven paused, then pulled his headphones up to his ears, resting his laptop on his knees. "That's between me and V."

Somehow, Seven felt like he could've trusted Haeun enough to tell her the truth about Saeran. But that trust was gone. He felt like she had sliced through the attachment they had (or he _thought_ they had), and now he was full of resentment for letting himself try to be happy. He knew it was too good to be true.

He'd have to speak to V, too. The anger that was suppressed, deep in the pit of his stomach, rose every time he thought about how he had trusted V to take care of Saeran, and how Saeran had turned out like.... _that_. 

Just as Seven began to start his computer up, his phone buzzed. He stopped, picking it up and checking it warily.

**V is now online.**

Looks like the confrontation would be sooner than he thought.

-

The sound of crashing roused you from your nap. You opened your eyes, sight foggy as Saeran slammed your laptop shut. "You." He growled. He looked angrier than ever before, but you didn't even blink. Instead, you leant back in your chair casually, blinking to get a better look at him.

"You're back early." A smile stretched across your face as you gave him a sleepy grin, which riled him up even more. 

"The security system. Why did you activate it? I was-" He brought his fist down onto the table in front of you, a loud ringing noise resounding throughout the small room. Other than the sounds of the computers beeping in the back, there was a near-deathly silence. "I was so close. Are you even on Mint Eye's side?" He turned to face you, his eyes carrying anger, betrayal....and sorrow? "Are you even on mine?" His last sentence came out in a quiet, pleading tone.

The grin was wiped off your face as Saeran watched you, waiting for an answer. "Saeran." You offered a small, sad smile. "You know why I'm here."

Saeran inhaled, sharply, as if his words were caught in his throat. "I knew you would say that."

"I'm leaving once the Saviour returns her to me. When she does, I can't be here anymore. You're the only person I trust enough to know that. That's why I can't take sides."

"You took  _his_ side pretty quickly."

"That's different. You were going to kill him when you weren't supposed to."

Saeran crossed his arms, not replying. You knew that he knew you were right, but he wasn't in the mood to retort anymore. "Fine."

You knew that 'fine' meant the opposite when it came to Saeran. He was almost petulant in a way, like a small child that never had the chance to grow up. Given his circumstances, you weren't surprised at all. "Leave if you want. That's all anyone does when it comes to me. You have your family, right? So go." Saeran left after that, grabbing his coat and slamming the door behind him without another word. You figured that leaving him to cool off some steam would be the best thing for him.

After you were sure he'd left, you pulled out your phone.

-

Seven carried on working, anger pulsing throughout him. V had been evasive and suspicious in the chatroom, almost leading to Seven quitting the RFA there and then- but the RFA was his last tie to you, so he held back. V had been especially cautious about Seven staying in Rika's apartment, but not for the same reasons as Zen and Jumin's protests (claiming that Seven, a man, and Haeun, a woman, being alone together was a recipe for trouble)- instead, he made it clear that Seven should not touch any of the drawers, as they contained confidential information. That much made Seven's blood boil- Saeran was corrupted because of V, and the only thing he cared about was some stupid guest information?

Beside him, Seven's phone buzzed. Someone had entered the chatroom. He was ready to ignore it, but reading the name made him open up the RFA app as quickly as he could. He entered the chatroom in record time, eyes darting around his screen. Sweat started accumulating on his brow.

 

> **707 has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> **_707:_ ** _why are you here?_ **  
> **
> 
> _**Orange:**  long_
> 
> _**Orange:**  time _
> 
> _**Orange:**  no _
> 
> _**Orange:**  see _
> 
> _**Orange:**  Luciel~ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far! This chapter took aaages for me to finish, with lots of writing and re-writing. There's a lot of filler at the moment, but I will try and make the story pick up the pace a bit more! And of course give the other RFA members a more active role ^^ Please leave comments and kudos if you're enjoying Room 105 <3


	3. Exhaustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and lovely comments! They really motivate me to keep writing ^^

_**ONE YEAR AGO** _

"She'll be working with you, from now, Ray." The Saviour purred, her hands clasped together. "Take good care of her. Though I don't believe you'll need to. She's quite valuable."

Ray eyed you warily. Your face was lowered, solemn, as if you were standing at a funeral. It creeped him out, but he still grinned anyway. "Of course. I'll keep a good eye on her." He offered a hand to you, a coy smile on his face. You glanced up at him, then your eyes flickered to his outstretched hand. Ignoring it, you shoved your hands into the pockets of your jacket and avoided his gaze. Ray bristled at that, his smile wavering slightly, but he played it off anyway, letting his hand awkwardly drop back down to his side. The Saviour watched, unperturbed, then nodded towards you and Ray, before leaving, a couple of her believers in tow.

As you turned to the table set up in the computer room, Ray let out an audible sigh. He didn't like the idea of having to babysit- in fact, he'd avoid you completely if he could, but there was something off about you that he couldn't ignore. You were different to the other believers- whilst everyone else would fall at the Saviour's feet and worship the ground that she walked on, you were more or less indifferent. You paid no mind to anyone else around you and instead pulled out an outdated laptop, which made Ray scoff. What were you planning to get done with that old thing? If he didn't know any better, he would've assumed that he was being pranked. There was no way that you were as valuable as the Saviour was making you out to be.

Your resistance to the Saviour, as well as Mint Eye, frustrated him. Some foolish believer had probably forgotten to administer your elixir correctly. You were supposed to be happy to be here, not a zombie.

"Is there something wrong with you?" Ray asked, as you sat down and began starting up your laptop. You turned slowly to look back at him. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're not very enthusiastic, you know. Aren't you happy to be here? At Mint Eye with the Saviour?" Ray pondered for a second, eyebrows raised. You snorted. "You're calling her that 'Saviour' bullshit too? A saviour is someone who helps people, not holds them against their will. I-"

You hadn't finished your sentence before Ray grabbed your arm, gripping it tightly. "Hey." He spoke, voice low. His face was expressionless, but you were not assuaged at all- in fact, you were all the more surprised. "Saying things like that is the quickest way to die."

You looked up at him, and Ray swore that he saw fear flash in your eyes for a split second before it was replaced by indifference. He released your shoulder quietly as you looked back down at your laptop. "What, are you going to put me out of my misery?" You let out a hollow laugh, but Ray could see that your hands were trembling.

"Not me." He straightened, fixing his magenta jacket, as the blue rose was askew. "The others may not take kindly to you badmouthing our leader. However," He watched you with a steady gaze, "If you are so smitten with me that you'd only wish to die by my hand, then it would be rude of me not to comply to such a lovely lady's request." The tension in your shoulders vanished as you gave him an incredulous expression. Was he joking with you? Flirting? What was wrong with this guy? You let out a low huff and Ray laughed.

You thought before speaking again. "I don't think you'd need to worry about me being killed at the hands of those weirdos. It's not like I'd be speaking to them the same way I'm speaking to you right now." You didn't meet his eyes until you'd finished your sentence, but your voice was firm.

Ray paused for a second. "What makes you think I'm so different from all of her other believers? I could report you right now for speaking ill of her."

You shrugged. "You're similar to them in a way, but you're not attached to her side. You're important, I can tell. She values you and gives you independence. That's what makes you different." Ray felt his ears turn pink, even though he wasn't sure if you were complimenting him or not. He coughed into his fist, not meeting your eyes for a few seconds.

"Anyway, I'm not here at Mint Eye for all of that 'happiness' bullshit. My happiness lies in getting back the person I came here for." You looked back up at him, giving him a vacant smile. Ray felt a chill go down his spine before crossing his arms, perplexed.

"Oh yeah?" Ray leaned against the table, watching you with curiosity. "Who's the person you came for?"

_**NOW** _

Seven hadn't replied to any of your messages. His mind was fuddled enough without your sudden appearance being thrown into the mix. Soon enough, however, you got the hint and left the chatroom, which was subsequently restored to its previous state. Your messages disappeared too, but only on the messenger, and not in Seven's mind. His head already felt like it was going to explode, so he kept his headphones on and continued working, ignoring Haeun's occasional invitations to eat together or talk.

He was currently trying to figure out where Mint Eye was based exactly. He had devised basic blueprints of the Mint Eye building, but getting there would be no easy task. He wouldn't be able to leave Haeun until the security system was secured, so he had that to work on as well. There was also the niggling thoughts of V's words in the back of his mind. The suspicion of whatever V may have been hiding in the drawers was only eating at him more and more as time passed.

"Seven." He could hear Haeun's voice, muffled, through the sound of his headphones. He pulled them off slowly and twisted around from where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor until he was facing her, an exasperated expression on his face. "What?" His tone came out sharper than he'd meant, but he was too tired at this point to try and correct himself. It must have been about 1am by now. Why was Haeun still awake?

"I..." Haeun had a hesitant expression on her face as she stood over him. Her hands were wringing the ends of her shirt, which Seven had noticed was a nervous habit that she possessed, mainly when she was talking to him. "About Mint Eye...it's not only that man there, right? He mentioned somebody else...who activated the security system? You seemed to know who she was...so-"

"Haeun, my head is seriously about to burst right now." Seven sighed. "Please just go to sleep." Haeun's face seemed to crumple at his words, but she remained firm, her eyebrows furrowing. Seven braced himself. Of course, Haeun was no different to anyone else he'd met. Even she had her limits.

"I'm asking you this because it's my business too." Haeun's voice was shaky as she spoke. "I have the right to know about this. Don't forget that my life is being threatened here. Can't you just spare me some slack for once?" The last sentence came out in a higher pitch, as if she was about to explode with anger. "Please!"

Seven didn't like the tone of her voice- it reminded him of memories he had long tried to repress. But he couldn't push them away now. "You want me to tell you the truth?" He set his laptop down on the floor and stood up, so he was towering over Haeun's smaller frame. His voice was firm, and his expression was unreadable. Her anger seemed to dissipate, and she instead looked up at him in shock. "I can tell you anything you need to know. But after this, we're as good as acquaintances."

"A...acquaintances?" Haeun repeated quietly.

Seven's pushed up the frame of his glasses, his demeanour unchanging. "Strangers, even."

-

"You've really displeased me today, darling."

The Saviour's eyes were dull, but focused on you as she spoke. You sat on your chair looking up at her, swivelled around to meet her eyes. You weren't normally the type to become intimidated, but the type of aura that compassed the woman in front of you was one unlike you had ever seen in anyone before. It was similar to the other believers that you had seen within Magenta- lulling and empty, but on a completely different scale. Rika - as was her name, but you or anyone else were not allowed to address her as such - exuded grace, elegance and most of all power. She could crush you with an iron grip if she so desired. Working under Mint Eye was a gamble for that exact reason. You swallowed, shifting under her stare, and hoping she wouldn't catch onto your nerves.

You glanced over at Saeran, pleading him mentally to throw you a line, but it was a loss. He had his back to both of you, arms crossed as he monitored a dozen screens in front of him. You were on your own.

"It seems everyone is blinded by love so easily, are they not?" Rika hummed, a small, amused smile on her face. "Me, who adored your skills so much that I omitted your ceremony, despite all of my believers protesting and manifesting doubt. Saeran," The man in question jolted at the mention of his name, turning slightly to look at both of you. "Who cares for you so deeply that he was ready to take every ounce of the blame for the failed mission in your stead."

You nervously looked over at Saeran a second time, but he still wasn't meeting your eyes. He did that much for you? You had thought that you were nothing but a nuisance to him all this time. And yet, a chill run through you at Rika's words. No doubt she had coerced him relentlessly into telling the truth. He wasn't the type to cave in easily.

"And of course, you," Hearing Rika address you caused you to snap your head back to meet her eyes, where she was still watching you rather ominously. "Who is so infatuated with Luciel that you would be willing to sacrifice your own sister in order to ensure his safety."

Your eyes shot wide open, and you were on your knees in an instant, grasping the ends of Rika's long robe. "No, no, no." You pleaded desperately, tears fogging your vision. "Please. I'm so sorry, I won't ever, ever disobey you or Mint Eye again. Please, please, keep her safe for me. Don't hurt her, I'm begging you."

"Your sister came here to find happiness," Rika, continued, ignoring you. "She was happy here in paradise, and then you showed up, saying that you'd aid Mint Eye with whatever they pleased as long as we'd free her."

"But you didn't," You gulped, gasping between sobs. "You told me you were going to keep her here for another year, and then you'd comply."

"Yes, because it was an awfully selfish request of yours. To try and sacrifice yourself because your warped idea of freedom was taking her away from here...you reminded me terribly of a disgusting man I used to know. But your skills were invaluable to us. So I listened, and then you betrayed me, and all of Mint Eye." Rika met your eyes, looking down at you stonily. You got up to your feet quickly, patting your tears away, your lips squeezed into a tight line.

"Do you know how long it has been since you joined Mint Eye?" Rika asked, but you knew better than to answer. "You came to us in July. It is nearing a year soon. You were so close, my love. But because of your selfishness, your sister has to suffer-"

"Don't do this, Saviour," Saeran interjected, and you almost burst into tears again from relief. "She didn't do anything out of malice."

"Stay out of this, Saeran." Rika retorted sharply. "Just because there is no malice doesn't mean the effect is insignificant. You could throw a stone at a frog for fun instead of out of malice and still kill it. And you are no better than her. Forsaking your loyalty to me because of love...can you not see how stupid that is?" Saeran flushed as you watched him with some curiosity. Love? Rika wasn't talking about you, was she? No...that was much too far-fetched.

He regained his composure quickly, then motioned towards you. "Love has nothing to do with it. This girl is, like you said, vital to Mint Eye. She knows all of its ups and downs, and the code that is keeping the entire operation running is like the back of her hand to her. You can't afford to not listen, Saviour. She's important. You taught me that." Saeran maintained eye contact with Rika the entire time as he spoke, not wavering for a second.

You looked over at Rika, who seemed to be carefully considering Saeran's words.

After a moment, Rika spoke, jolting you out of your thoughts. "One more time." She turned to you as you looked at her, somewhat puzzled. "I am giving you one more chance to redeem yourself."

"Thank you, Saviour," You babbled, tears filling your eyes again. The word 'Saviour' was bitter on your tongue, but you were so lost in reverie that you didn't acknowledge it.

"Saeran told me about how you were superior to Luciel in college. Which means that if we are going to bring Haeun Jung to Mint Eye, then you need to be in charge of this particular operation." Rika clasped her hands, a smile on her face again. You stopped, then looked at her. "You mean..."

"You are going to retrieve Haeun yourself." Rika's smile only grew wider. "If you can do it, which I believe you will, then you will be more than free to leave Mint Eye along with your sister. After all, salvation is only there for people who truly desire it."

You gulped, thinking for a moment. You had not seen Luciel leave the apartment since the debacle a day earlier, which meant that he would be there. You would have to stage a distraction for sure, otherwise, Haeun would definitely call for his help. And you were not prepared to see him again. Your texts had fallen on deaf ears, which meant that he wasn't, either. But the prospect of being free from Mint Eye, along with your younger sister...the chance was right there. It would not show itself again.

"Okay. When will I be leaving?" You replied steadily, and from the corner of your eye, you could see a grin appearing on Saeran's face.

"Tomorrow night," Rika replied. "Sleep well."

-

Seven hadn't slept a wink.

He had a 3-hour nap in between hacking whilst Haeun tiptoed around him after their exchange, but it had been a whole day since then, and his entire body was wracked with lethargy. Nevertheless, he continued working away. He had temporarily put aside the Mint Eye research to focus on other matters.

Currently, he was scanning through every single database he could find that contained your name.

He knew it was invasive, but after hours of thinking, he realised that in the year he had known you, he never actually  _knew_ you. Sure, he knew your name, he knew you were studying Programming, and he knew your laptop was a gift passed down from your father. Seven knew that you didn't like cold noodles because they gave you a tummy ache, and you liked peeling the seaweed off kimbap with your teeth instead of biting into the whole thing like a normal person would do. He knew that you would never answer a phone call before 1pm because you liked to sleep in, and you often joked about enjoying 'long walks in the park' even though you hated anything that entailed physical activity. He knew a lot of things about you, but only on the surface. Although he knew you liked oranges, he wouldn't be able to answer any questions about your family. He didn't know what schools you had attended before college, what your dad's name was, and why you were so evasive about your personal life.

He didn't know because you never told him. One thing he did know, however, was that you had always expected Seven to do a background check on you anyway. But he never did, because he didn't want to prove you right. That, and the fact that he really liked you, and never once perceived you as a threat to him. There was no reason back then, but there was now. He was clearly missing a piece of information that would explain why you were at Mint Eye.

So here he was, making up for lost time. It would take him a while to get into the National database, but there was no other place that he could possibly find you. You had done an excellent job of covering up your identity- on search engines, your name came up with nothing. Socially, you didn't exist. Seven had to pull out the big guns at this rate.

As he typed, his mind couldn't help but drift to Haeun, who he'd spoken to yesterday. He remembered her hurt expression at his words, but he was already starting to feel apathetic. Then he remembered her quick apology, the words " _in that case, I'd prefer it if you told me nothing_ " sputtered out hastily, and guilt that he'd felt for a few seconds when she bowed quickly, tears forming in her eyes as she turned away and retired back to her room. He had a feeling she'd leave him alone if he told her that, which was why he had said it. It was the only way to stop her from prying, though, because the less she knew, the safer she'd be when Seven was gone. There was no point in them getting to know each other. Once he had enough intel on Mint Eye, he'd leave and go to retrieve you and his brother himself.

He'd already finished polishing up the security system in the apartment, which meant that Haeun would be safe for now. Although, it didn't really seem as if anything would happen anytime soon. He hadn't sensed any presence of tampering in any of his programs, including the RFA application, like he was expecting there to be. However, it would be stupid of him to let his guard down. He had no idea how Mint Eye operated, or what they wanted, so he'd have to monitor them closely for now.

Finally, after half an hour, he had weakened the defence for the National database. He'd have 5 minutes at most before the system traced his presence, but that was just about enough for him. He typed in your name, and to his surprise, you were there. 

There wasn't any information that really seemed to be out of place. The information was largely accurate, such as your height and date of birth. He checked your family registry next and paused.

Your father was listed as deceased. Seven sucked air in sharply, hollowing his cheeks in thought. That explained why you treasured your laptop so much. It wasn't just an item to you, but something that tied you to your father. Your mother was fine, residing near Seoul. She worked as a cleaner in the Gangnam district- probably for rich people. As he scrolled through your registry, something, however, caught his eye.

He checked the name once, twice, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. You had a younger sister. She would currently, if the date of birth was correct, be 17 years old. Judging from her photo, she looked quite similar to you, but her face was chubbier, and her nose was pierced. He read the name off out loud, trying to recall if he had heard you speak of someone like that before. You hadn't. But as he delved deeper into the information about her, he realised why.

Her name was highlighted in green. Which meant, according to the National Registry, she was missing. 

Seven checked his watch. It had been 4 minutes so far. He'd have to be quick if he wanted to leave without a trace. He decided that there was one last thing that he needed to verify. Scanning your sister's profile, he checked when exactly she went missing and found that it was almost 25 months ago. Over two years. However, the odd part was that she had been spotted nearly a year ago, wandering in an offhand area far away from Seoul, but had disappeared again. Seven looked at the date on the grainy photo of her that had been captured the day she was spotted. It was two days before you had left college without a word.

Cogs began to turn in Seven's mind. He closed the database and shut his laptop, exhaling slowly. This was it. The truth that tied everything together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wink wink the secrets are all getting spilled tonight ;)
> 
> Aghhhhh I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I tried to get Rika to play a more active role since she is what ties this entire story together! Also I'm sorry for not updating for a while T.T this chapter took a lot to plan and write, but I'm quite excited with the direction it's taking, and I hope you are too! Please leave kudos and comments if you'd like more ^^  
> -Sushi


	4. Sickness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, thank you so much for waiting patiently for this new chapter, and happy 2018 as well! I've been caught up with a lot of college stuff like exams and coursework so I wasn't able to update as soon as I would've liked to T.T 
> 
> Also, I'm really interested in knowing what you think of my interpretation of these characters! I'm worried that I'm writing Saeran a bit OOC, but I think that he would be quite caring towards the reader, especially since they've known each other for some time now, regardless of whether he's Ray or Saeran. I want to bring out some more of his 'Saeran' elements though, so I'll try my best ^^ Please enjoy this chapter as a late New Year's gift from me! I made it a bit longer the usual ones~
> 
> \- Sushi

Haeun shifted from one leg to another as she watched Seven work before slowly walking back to her bedroom, rereading the previous chat logs from her phone as she did so. There had been some panic over the RFA members receiving emails from some place called 'Mint Eye', and all of them were on edge. She would've been too, but she had Seven with her. Despite the grim situation at hand, Seven didn't seem dissuaded at all- in fact, he was currently way more fired up than she had seen him before. He'd mentioned to Yoosung and Jaehee that the emails would make it easier for him to track the hacker, but apart from that, he hadn't divulged much information about what exactly he was planning to do- Haeun could only assume he was going to go there himself.

Although she wouldn't admit it to him, Haeun felt dejected that she and Seven weren't talking to each other. Sure, she had tried to speak to him here and there, but he was dismissive of her if she asked him anything, and after his insistence yesterday that they'd have to be 'as good as strangers' lest he confessed anything, she'd decided that she wasn't going to press him for information anymore. Instead, she decided to retire to her bed and flopped back onto the duvet, arms spread out like an eagle. 

 _Ring, ring._ Haeun pulled her phone out from where it was buried underneath her back and checked the caller ID warily before answering.

"Zen?"

_"Babe! You picked up! I was starting to get a bit worried, so I had to check up on you. Seven hasn't tried anything funny, has he? Because if he gets that look in his eye, you should call me right away. You know the one, right? It's kind of like a lust-"_

"I'm fine, Zen, thank you for worrying about me. It's okay, really. We aren't talking to each other, he's just been working silently since he got here."

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. " _Really_ _?_ " Zen didn't bother masking his surprise. " _Seven's being silent? Gosh, I'd like to see that."_

"You really wouldn't..." Haeun's voice faltered for a moment, which Zen picked up on right away. 

" _Hey...babe. Are you okay? I didn't think he'd be ignoring you like this. Is something wrong with him? Give him the phone, I'll-_ " The line went dead before Zen could finish his sentence. Haeun examined the phone curiously. The screen was black.

Haeun paused, then switched it back on. Her phone had turned off randomly. She attempted to redial Zen, but he instantly went to voicemail.  _Huh..._

Placing her phone back on her bedside table, Haeun looked outside. It was early evening now, with the sun just about beginning to set. She turned away from the window and laid back down on her bed, shutting her eyes. She opened them again momentarily when her phone lit up, and slowly, she reached out and checked the messenger.

 

> _**ORANGE:** force-systemGh7o+jK^%\OP}_

 

Haeun nearly dropped her phone in shock. The second that the message had been typed out, the messenger reverted to the way it was when she had first seen it- the background was a bunch of codes, and it was only her and the stranger in the chatroom. This person wasn't using the 'unknown' screen-name though- was it really the man who had sent her here?

 

> _**ORANGE:** quit-707)[hGy45Fv5@+8]:5%_
> 
> **_Haeun♥:_** _who are you? is this Unknown?_

 

Haeun's hands seemed to tremble as she typed. She then watched as a reply came back almost instantly.

 

> _**ORANGE:** are you scared?_
> 
> _**ORANGE:** don't be._
> 
> **_ORANGE:_ ** _I'm not him._

 

Him? Haeun stopped. Were they talking about Unknown? If they weren't Unknown...then who could they be? Haeun fiddled with the bottom of her shirt, nervously, before glancing at the door. Seven hadn't seemed to notice anything was wrong. Should she notify him? It seemed like he already had enough on his plate, though, and she didn't want to burden him further when she already knew she was being a nuisance.

 _I'll just keep this to myself, for now,_ she thought.

 

> _**Haeun** **♥:** you're not dangerous,_
> 
> _**Haeun** **♥:** are you?_
> 
> **_ORANGE:_ ** _no_
> 
> **_ORANGE:_ ** _i'm just someone who wants to help you._
> 
> _**Haeun** **♥:** how are you going to do that?_
> 
> _**Haeun** **♥:** no, that's not important._
> 
> _**Haeun** **♥:** what are you to the RFA?_
> 
> **_ORANGE:_ ** _..._
> 
> **_ORANGE:_ ** _you'll know soon_
> 
> **ORANGE has left the chatroom.**

-

"What do you plan on doing with that woman when I bring her back here?" You leaned down to tie your laces as Saeran stood before you, an open backpack in his hand. He was filling it up with snacks, a first-aid kit and everything else that you knew you wouldn't need. You'd noticed, however, that since you'd spoken to Rika, Saeran had become stiffer. He was still talking to you normally, but there was something about his mannerisms that you couldn't ignore.

"Why, are you worried about her?" Saeran smirked at you as he dropped a can of Yellow Bull into your bag, an eyebrow raised, and you scoffed in response. "I wasn't initially going to have anything to do with her personally. I thought the Saviour might have some fun with her instead. But since you're leaving..." The words seemed to linger in the air as Saeran's gaze dropped from yours.

"Since you're leaving, I thought she'd make a nice assistant." Up until that point, you'd been conversing with Saeran half-heartedly. But his words made your ears perk up a little, and you looked up at him, eyebrows knitted together.

"Assistant?" You repeated, as if you were attempting to affirm his words. Saeran said nothing in response, but a grin was etched on his features. It was different to how he usually smiled at you and sent chills down your body. The way he was standing, the aura that he was exuding right now, it was almost as if he'd reverted back to the way he was when you'd first met him, and you had some idea why.

"Saeran...what happened to you after we spoke with Rika?" You trod on the subject carefully, because you weren't sure on how exactly you were supposed to deal with Saeran when he was the way he was right now. The grin dropped from Saeran's face once you said those words, and you unconsciously inhaled.

"You don't have to worry about that. Just know that I won't be stepping out of line anymore. And," He zipped up the bag he'd been gripping, and tossed it to you, which you caught clumsily. His eyes seemed to be glued to yours as he spoke, and in that moment, he felt like a stranger to you. But you couldn't bring yourself to pull your gaze away. "I won't be sticking my neck out for you anymore. So don't fuck up more than you already have." Saeran passed by you like a cold breath of air without another word, leaving you alone in your room. 

Saeran's words were elusive, but you already knew what had happened. After Rika wished you good luck, Saeran had quietly followed her out of the room. You didn't see him until the next day, but by then, word had already caught around about what happened. Thinking about it made you clench your fists. What did he do, to be used the way he did? To be tossed around like a ragdoll, to be forced into believing that leaning on Rika was the only way to live? 

His words had stung slightly, too, even though you knew it wasn't the usual Saeran saying them. If anything, that made it worse. Saeran's words would usually have a joke hidden behind them or some kind of teasing, but you hadn't felt anything like that from him just then. It was a genuine warning on his behalf, making your hairs stand on end. You weren't sure what was lying in wait for you if you failed to bring the woman back to Magenta. Rika wasn't lenient when it came to punishment, you knew that.

You turned back to your bed, where your laptop was sitting. A good part of your afternoon had been spent weakening the security system and formulating some kind of distraction that you'd be using to get Luciel out of the way. In the best case scenario, you'd be in and out of the apartment without even needing to see him. Then you'd be back at Mint Eye, along with your sister, and Rika would finally let the both of you go. 

Speaking of your sister, Mina, you hadn't seen her in a few months now. She was in a different part of the building to you, and more often than not you were working away in the tech room with Saeran, too busy to leave. Even if you did try walking around, the likeliness of you running into her was very slim. This wasn't a coincidence, though, and you knew that Rika was purposefully withholding Mina from seeing you.

The last time you did see her, she barely seemed to recognise you. Her words seemed coherent enough, but she wasn't  _in_ it at all. That seemed to be the effects of the elixir- whenever you were allowed to visit her, she was subsequently dosed, on Rika's orders, to ensure nothing suspicious would happen. The state that you were seeing her in left you depressed every time, and you didn't like the idea of being responsible for her being drugged, so eventually your visits thinned out until you weren't planning on seeing her at all. At least, until Rika would set her free, as promised. Then you'd be able to take her back to your mother.

 _Your mother._ Now that was someone you hadn't thought of in a long time. You'd checked up on her a while ago, and she still seemed to be at her cleaning job in Seoul. That was like her. The type to continue working no matter what happened. She could lose an arm or a leg one night and still show up to a house in Gangnam with all of her cleaning equipment ready. You envied her at times, but you knew that underneath the surface she was troubled. After all, both of her daughters were missing. You had cut off all contact with everyone you knew once the police had spotted her whereabouts- you left college and Luciel, and slaved for two days in order to pinpoint where exactly Mina was located. The police themselves were doing little to try and find her, which irritated you. So you took matters into your own hands and packed your bags, driving for five hours until you'd arrived at the coordinates.

**ONE YEAR AGO**

"Your sister?" The blonde woman, who you had identified as 'Rika', sounded almost incredulous. She was looking at you with an expression that mixed both irritation and confusion, but she still followed your line of sight to where Mina was standing.

"That's right." Your voice was shaky. It didn't help that Rika was surrounded by a dozen believers, one of them, a boy, strangely with white hair, looking at you with a curious yet dangerous expression. He was dressed in fancy clothing, but that did little to alleviate your anxiety. "You have her here against her will. I'm taking her back with me to Seoul."

Mina was still watching the two of you, but she was mostly indifferent. She hadn't expressed any joy, or relief, or even cry when you had arrived at Magenta, confronting the leader face to face. It didn't matter to you, though. You just wanted to take her back home. It had been too long. You had put yourself at a disadvantage by entering the main section of the building, but the CCTV hadn't shown Mina to be anywhere else but there, so you'd entered, albeit quietly. Stupidly, you had yelled out when you spotted Mina, who was quietly conversing with one of the other believers. She was clothed in a dark blue robe, obscuring her face slightly, but there was no denying it. At that point, you had found yourself surrounded by robed figures, with a woman in a black dress and mask at the helm. And now, you were negotiating - no,  _getting_ \- a way out.

Rika didn't say anything for a few moments, expressionless. Then she broke into a fit of laughter- you almost expected the believers to chime in with her, but they kept their eyes on you and said nothing. Her laughter was loud but cold; the type that would send a chill down your spine. You guarded yourself more, noting the extravagant decorations that lined the walls of Magenta. 

"I think you'll be sorry to find that things don't work like that here." Rika's eyes were dark beneath her mask. "Your sister came here to find salvation. To take her away would be a very selfish thing to do."

"She wouldn't leave just like that!" Your voice was higher now, and you paused for a moment to calm yourself. "I know Mina better than you do. Better than you ever will. I know the best place for her is at home with me and our mother, not at some building miles and miles away from any form of civilisation where some weird cult thinks kidnapping people is good for them."

Rika considered your words. Before she could say anything, the white-haired boy next to her spoke up. "Who helped you find this place? It's impossible for a normal person to be able to track down Magenta. I spent weeks perfecting the security."

"I used my own skills," You replied without missing a beat. "Your security is no match for that."

The boy narrowed his eyes at you. "How am I meant to believe that? For all I know you could've been working with the police. Maybe they're waiting outside right now." At his words, several believers tensed up, looking around nervously. You didn't break your gaze. 

"I-"

"You're telling me you managed to surpass Ray's skills?" Rika's lips were curved upwards slightly. "I'm impressed. You could be of use to Mint Eye." The boy - Ray - snapped his head in Rika's direction.

"We don't even know if she's telling the truth, Saviour. How could someone simply possess that level of skill? Not even... _that redhead_...." Ray trailed off. Your eyebrows furrowed together in a frown as you looked back at him, confused. Redhead? He didn't mean...

"If her skills can surpass that of Luciel's, she could be invaluable to our cause, Ray."

At that, your heart dropped.

There was no way. 

 _No way_.

But you had no doubt now. You _couldn't_. You knew for a fact that there was no other redhead god-level hacker named Luciel in the whole country. But how did they know him? Where did he fit into all of this?

"You _know_ Luciel?" You spoke before you could catch yourself, and Ray looked at you like he'd been electrocuted. 

" _You_ know him?" Ray's expression darkened. "Why do you know who he is? Did he...did he send you here himself?"

"No," You replied quickly. "I  _knew_ who he was. He was a fri- classmate." Swallowing thickly, you passed your gaze from Ray to Rika, and then back again. "And...I've always been able to surpass him."

The room was so quiet now that you could hear a pin drop. Mina was watching you with a blank expression that had remained on her face since you'd arrived. Ray's expression was somewhat priceless- you would've taken a photo if you could. Rika, however, looked delighted.

Rika spoke, the smile not leaving her face. "I think," She clasped her hands together. "that we could work together quite well. You said you were here for your sister, correct? Perhaps we can make a deal."

**NOW**

Seven opened the door, warily. A young man stood at the door, a box in his hands, a slightly agitated expression on his face. 

"Hi, sorry to bother you at a time like this. I'm just moving in down the hall and I need help to get these boxes from my car to my apartment. You wouldn't mind lending me a hand, would you?" The man was shifting from one foot to the other as if he was in a hurry.

Seven let out a quiet, exasperated sigh. "Sorry, I'm busy." He went to close the door, but the man's foot shot out and wedged it open again. Seven opened it again, irritated now.

The man was still there, looking a little more panicked. "Please. It's quite late and I don't want to leave my car and valuables vulnerable. If it's money you're worried about, I can pay you for your time." The man stopped himself, then added a brisk "please".

"I don't need-"

"Seven?"

Seven groaned internally as Haeun appeared beside him with a confused expression. "Why are you stand- who is that?"

"It's just some guy bothering me. Go back inside, it's cold in the hallway." Seven glanced back at Haeun, who was rubbing her arms in a feeble attempt to warm up.

The man perked up at the sight of Haeun and turned to face her instead. Seven noticed this, grimacing. "Ma'am, you'd be willing to help me, right? I just need an extra pair of hands to help me lug these boxes to my apartment. I'll take care of the heavy ones, so there won't be a problem."

Haeun glanced at Seven, who wasn't meeting her eyes. Instead, he was watching the man carefully, almost intensely. She paused, before speaking. "Yeah. Sure. Just-"

"I'll help you." Seven spoke over her, not averting his gaze. Then his face broke into a cheery smile- it reminded Haeun of the 707 she knew, just days ago. "Let me get my coat and I'll join you outside."

"Ah, great!" The man relaxed instantly, hoisting the box up a bit. "I'll just put this away then. Thank you very much."

"No problem." Seven shut the door in his face, before turning back to Haeun. "You-"

"I know." Haeun didn't meet his eyes, but her expression was that of a petulant child who was being scolded. "I just wanted to help."

Seven brushed past her slightly. "You're in the RFA, aren't you? You've been a lot of help. Plus going into some random guy's apartment at this time of night is nothing but trouble. I'll handle it." He left her standing by the door as he went back to his belongings, pulling his coat out and shuffling around while getting his shoes on.

Haeun watched him, his words imprinted on her mind. Seven was still gentle after all, even if he was being apprehensive. She remembered the tinge of annoyance on his face when she agreed to help the stranger out, and felt an indescribable warm feeling welling up in the pit of her stomach. Maybe things weren't over yet.

-

"Mr Lee?" Your voice came through the receiver. "Did you get him to come outside?"

The man clenched his phone tightly, the box discarded by his door. "Yes. You were right. I asked the girl for help and he stepped in."

Your laugh rang out. "He's still as heroic as ever. Well, I appreciate your efforts. Keep him distracted for a good half an hour while I work."

Beads of sweat appeared on the man's forehead. "Half an hour? The number of boxes I have right now aren't that many, ma'am. Maybe twenty minutes-"

"Mr Lee." You spoke firmly. "We made an agreement, didn't we? The embezzlement that you've been doing from your company won't look good in court, you know. I reckon about ten to fifteen years in jail here. Just keep him in your apartment. Offer him tea, or a snack, just keep him there until you get my signal. Otherwise, this information I've got on you might mysteriously make its way into the hands of your CEO."

Mr Lee gulped as he heard footsteps outside, most likely the redhead leaving. "I...I understand. I'll keep him occupied for you. Then, I'll leave first."  _Click._

-

_Security system deactivated._

Haeun's ears perked up at the sound of the automated voice, as she reclined on the couch with a book in her lap. "What-"

A hand clasped around her mouth before she could register what was happening, and her scream came out muffled. "Shh."

You stood behind her, a hand stifling her protests. You pulled Haeun up to her feet as she attempted to scramble away, and pushed her towards the window. "Quietly now. I have a knife in my pocket and I don't want to use it on you." At that, a muffled shriek came out, and you clamped down harder. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't do this if I had a choice."

 _It's a good thing its dark outside,_ you thought to yourself. You didn't want to be seen dragging a woman into your car in broad daylight. It was bad enough that you felt sick kidnapping her. And even worse knowing that Luciel was just doors away from the both of you, with no idea that you were here. Either way, you just wanted to get out as soon as possible. Haeun had stopped struggling and was now limp in your grip.

It took a minute for you to gag her mouth so you could make full use of your hands again. Wiping the saliva on your jeans- you were glad that you were wearing leather gloves- you hastily dragged Haeun to where the window was open and wedged it open so that both of you could see the view below. You could hear her mumbling anxiously- you knew that the drop from this floor was dangerous. She was getting more and more agitated, which you'd normally ignore. It wasn't your business whether she was comfortable or not, but something twinged inside you- maybe it was guilt, or just sympathy. Maybe you felt like you owed that much to Seven.

"It's okay." You reassured her, your voice low. "I won't let you get hurt. Just trust me. Hold my waist tight, okay?" Haeun didn't respond, but you noticed that her hands were shaking a lot less than before as you hoisted the rope you'd fastened earlier. It was trailing all the way to the bottom, where your car was. You fastened both of your bodies together before assessing the right footing to begin climbing down with.

Suddenly, your phone rang, alarming you. You answered it quickly, without even checking the caller ID. No one else would have been contacting you at this time.

"Ma'am, this is bad- this is really bad-" Mr Lee was babbling incoherently over the phone as you furrowed your brows together. 

"What's happening? Calm down and talk to me properly." You were contradicting yourself, though, because you could feel panic rising in your throat. Your stomach was twisting and turning, and your grip on Haeun's arm tightened further.

"It's the redhead. He knows. He knows something was wrong. I don't know how he figured it out but he's on his way right now-"

 _Fuck._ You cut the call without a second thought and made sure Haeun was secure before stepping out of the window. Your head was a mess- you could barely make sense of the bricks in front of you as you held the rope tight and began lowering yourself. You were neck-level with the window now.

"Just hold on, okay?" You said your words out loud so Haeun could hear them, but if anything, it felt more like you were trying to reassure yourself. "Just-"

You heard a door burst open from inside the apartment, and against your better judgement, you turned to face the window.

He was standing there, shock evident on his face- the door was still wide open, and he was standing in the frame. His phone was in his hand and he was huffing slightly, his curly red hair flopping around from the draft that the open window had brought in. Haeun tensed against your body, but you couldn't move. All you could do was look at him as he did the same to you. 

"Luciel," you breathed. His golden eyes were glistening, entrancing you. It was like every single feeling in the book had begun to flow through your veins- an emotion you couldn't quite pin down was there too, strong and domineering. Was it love? Relief? Guilt? Sadness? Panic? Maybe it was all at once. But you couldn't deny yourself the opportunity to look at him again.

Then, he stepped forward, and it was like a spell had been broken. You remembered what you were here for. Not for Haeun, not Luciel, not Rika and Mint Eye. You were here for Mina and no one else. She was right within your grasp, and you couldn't let go of her now.

You released your foot from the brick wall and loosened your grip on the rope, feeling the wind rush past your ears as you dropped down. Haeun's let out a muffled scream again, but she didn't resist, and instead buried her head into your back and held on tighter. Looking up to the open window, you could see Luciel leaning out, a stunned expression on his face. He seemed to hesitate before disappearing back into the apartment.

Both you and Haeun were already in the car by the time you spotted his figure, sprinting towards you. You pushed your foot down on the accelerator as he attempted to pursue you, yelling something you couldn't hear. A few moments later and he was gone. Your chest hurt as you tore your eyes away from the rear mirror, feeling a tear prick your eye. There was no turning back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luciel and Reader finally meet! I was debating on whether or not I should have them meet while the reader is trying to kidnap Haeun or later on, but I thought that things would work out better if I had them see each other earlier- that way I can cut down on a shit ton of fillers. I've started planning the ending, and I think the final story will be roughly 11 or 12 chapters- I don't want to drag this story out longer than it needs to be!
> 
> Please let me know what you think of this fic in the comments! Sorry again for taking my time with the release, I'll work harder so they're out earlier next time ^^ Thank you!
> 
> -Sushi


	5. Breakdown

You felt a lot worse on the drive back towards Magenta. It started off as a small, dull ache in the pit of your stomach before it spread to your chest and neck, an anxious and melancholy feeling that constricted your breathing as you gripped the wheel tighter. Haeun was sleeping in the back of the car, worn out. You'd untied her binds when you'd reached the halfway point, but locked the doors. It didn't seem likely that Haeun would run off when she was in the middle of nowhere, but you weren't taking any chances. Her phone was stashed in your compartment. For some reason, Saeran insisted that she'd need it. You figured it had something to do with the messenger.

Right now, though, you were barely collecting your thoughts. Your head felt like it was falling apart. You supposed this is what Luciel must have been going through several days ago in the messenger. Monitoring the logs was easy enough for you, and the way Luciel spoke to Haeun reminded you fondly of the way he spoke to you in college. You two shared jokes together, and many of your other classmates often remarked about how you were joined at the hip. If you were there, then Luciel would be, and vice versa. 

So it came as a surprise when you saw the dark side of Luciel surface in the chats a few days back when he was confronting the leader of the RFA. You'd always figured that you had the advantage over Luciel in that he didn't know about your personal life, but it was only then that you realised that you knew little to nothing about his either. You'd noticed that he didn't talk about his family a lot, but neither did you- so your friendship was something that suited you both well. There were no deep talks between the two of you. If your personal life was darkness, then your friendship with Luciel was the light. It made sense that Luciel would feel the same.

You'd been checking the messenger various times as you travelled to Magenta- of course, when the car was parked. Luciel had been the first to log in, informing the RFA that Haeun had been taken away. You had expected him to give some kind of indicator that you were responsible, but he didn't. All he did was tell Jumin that he'd take care of it, and since then he'd gone AWOL. It was oddly touching of him to choose to omit your name, but that did little to stop the feeling of dread that was coursing throughout you. The sight of him had left you completely spooked. You felt vulnerable, like a deer caught in the headlights. It was, in a cliche way, like he'd been staring right into your soul. The side of you that you had never shown to him, nor intended to show to him was bared- and now he was truly seeing you for what you were.

A selfish, manipulative piece of trash.

You couldn't lie to yourself. You had doubts about everything. About if what you were doing was right. You knew Rika was the one who made you feel this way, with her constant insistence that taking Mina away would do more harm than good. You'd wondered if everything was out of your hands- if you should just call the police and let them handle it- but Saeran had already told you that involving anyone would mean Rika making Mina disappear for good. After all, once her 'paradise' went live, she'd have nothing left to lose. So you were stuck between a rock and a hard place- working your ass off for the sake of your sister's freedom, even though you were beginning to doubt if you were truly giving her that. She'd never protested, not even once. In all of her time at Mint Eye, she'd never vocalised that she ever wanted to leave.

 _No. I'm doing the right thing._ You shook off your thoughts and pulled the car over to the nearest gas station. It had been a while since the last one, and you needed signal- and gas- desperately. The cold air was like a knife on your cheek as you stepped out of the car and locked the doors. Haeun was still asleep, but she would probably wake soon. You'd be in and out before she did.

It took a minute or so to fill up your tank. As you walked into the convenience store to pay, you felt your phone suddenly buzz with several notifications, all at once.  _Signal. Finally._

Most of the notifications were from Saeran, which you ignored. You knew what he was going to say. 'Did you get her?' 'Did you see the redhead on your way there?' 'Was it successful?' None of those were questions you felt like answering right now, so you didn't. Instead, you took note of the fact that several RFA members were online right now.

Against your better judgement, you entered the chatroom.

 

> _**Yoosung☆:** what is seven doing right now?!?!_
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** _
> 
> **_Jaehee Kang:_** _I admit while this is extremely unsettling,_
> 
> **_Jaehee Kang:_** _It won't do any good to berate Luciel as of this moment._
> 
> _**Jaehee Kang:** after all, he is doing his best to track Haeun right now._
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** that  
>  _
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** how can you say that  
>  _
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_** _ as if its not his fault that haeun was taken in the first place?_
> 
> _**Yoosung☆:** we've lost haeun because of him  
>  _
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_ ** _and v is nowhere to be found_
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_ ** _two of the most important members,_
> 
> **_Yoosung☆:_ ** _and they've let the RFA down in the worst way..._
> 
> **_ZEN:_ ** _ah...i really might take my motorcycle out for a ride right now..._
> 
> **_ZEN:_ ** _i can't cope with this situation at all TT_
> 
> **_ZEN:_ ** _its been hours since she was taken and seven is still trying to track her down_
> 
> **_Jumin Han:_ ** _Luciel is capable._
> 
> **_Jumin Han:_ ** _I also will be sending backup if he needs it._

 

None of the RFA members could see that you were reading their messages, but that only made you feel worse. You were singlehandedly responsible for the turmoil that was happening in the chatroom right now and none of them knew it. It made the twisting feeling in your stomach deepen, until you felt like you were surely going to be physically sick. You had to pay the cashier hurriedly as bile rose in your throat.

Bolting to the toilets, you locked yourself in a stall and heaved over the bowl, pushing your hair back and sobbing. Your throat felt dry and scratchy, and you could taste the salt from your tears. It was as if everything had come tumbling towards you at once. The guilt of taking Haeun against her will. The uncertainty of whether you were doing the right thing for your sister. How apologetic you felt towards Saeran that in the end, you'd be leaving him too. The feeling of... _love..._ that you held for Luciel, and the harsh, painful reality that he was never going to answer your feelings because you had let him down so badly. The shambles that you would be leaving an organisation- no, a  _family-_ in. The RFA would likely never fully recover from this. You knew that Luciel was on his way right now, but so did Rika. There would be no grand rescue mission.

Most of all, you felt complete helplessness in this whole situation. You'd spent most of your life proud- proud that your computing skills had given you the autonomy you'd always desired. But it was only now that you realised you had none of that at all. In the end, you couldn't help anyone. You were stuck, trapped even, in a box that had been built just for you. In the end, you were only doing what you could, with the choices that you were given. Not the ones you created.

The old you would've laughed at you right now, crouched over a toilet seat, dragging a hand across your streaky black eyes and patting away the vomit near your mouth with thin toilet tissue.  When you arrived at Mint Eye, you were determined, confident and certain in your decisions. Everything was so clear cut for you. Nothing would've gotten in your way. Not Saeran, not Luciel, and definitely not Rika. You would've been out with Mina in a split second if you were given the chance.

The you right now was a shell. You didn't feel like you knew yourself at all. Everything had gotten complicated, and now you were wondering if you should drive back to Rika's apartment, release Haeun, then take off and disappear where no one would find you. The bottom of the ocean looked fairly appealing, but anywhere that even Luciel wouldn't be able to pinpoint would satisfy you. You clenched your car keys, fist tightening until there was an angry red mark in the palm of your hands. Yes, it all made sense now.

Your phone rang, and you answered it without checking the caller ID. "Saeran."

The end of the line was silent. You froze, then got up to your feet. The familiar feeling of dread was drifting in and out of your belly, and you turned over your phone so you could see who was calling. It couldn't have been anyone but Saeran.

"It's me," The voice said, and your knees buckled as you gripped the handle of your stall desperately to stop yourself from falling. "Luciel."

-

Haeun's lips felt cracked and dry as she moved around in the backseat. Her knees were stiff, so she slowly sat up and swung her legs around so she could stretch them out. Her binds were gone, and so were you. She reached out to pull the door handle. Perhaps-

_Click._

No.

Of course not. You weren't that stupid. You managed to fool Seven, after all. And it's not like she had anywhere to go. Seoul was probably miles and miles away by now.

Haeun leaned back into her seat instead, blinking as she took note of the surroundings. The bright light of the gas station made her eyes water, so she rubbed them, feeling some makeup come off on the back of her hand.

She was parched. Now that her binds were undone, she could search around your car to see if you had any water. You should've had something, anything. Her throat felt like sand right now, so she pried around. Maybe you kept a bottle in the compartment.  _Click._  Haeun nearly jumped back in surprise when her phone fell into her palms. Something between panic and relief settled in her stomach as she gripped it tightly, her head snapping back up to the window to check if you had returned. You hadn't.  _And_ there was a signal. If Haeun could've been given an opportunity, it was now.

Her phone blinked to life. There were all sorts of notifications. Hundreds and hundreds of calls and texts from everyone in the RFA, Seven excluded. Haeun felt her heart sink. Was he even looking for her right now?

 

> _**Haeun has entered the chatroom.** _
> 
> _**ZEN:** wha_
> 
> _**ZEN:** haeun?????!?!??!_
> 
> _**ZEN:** _
> 
> _**ZEN:** is it really you??!?_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** yes, it's me._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** i'm in her car._
> 
> _**ZEN:** eh...?_
> 
> _**ZEN: '** her'?_
> 
> _**ZEN:** the person who took you was a woman?_
> 
> _**ZEN:** wait, you're in her car?! is she there??_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** i can't tell you a lot right now_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** but she's not in here_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** she might come back soon_
> 
> _**ZEN:** haeun..._
> 
> _**ZEN:** i know you might feel scared right now,_
> 
> _**ZEN:** but everyone in the RFA is doing what they can to try and help you._
> 
> _**ZEN:** yoosung was in here earlier crying about how useless he felt_
> 
> _**ZEN:** but im sure he'd feel a lot better if you knew how worried he was about you._
> 
> _**ZEN:** we all are._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** Zen..._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** _ _ thank you. _
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** i promise that i'll come back. seven will help me, right?_
> 
> _**ZEN:** ha, is that even a question?_
> 
> _**ZEN:** seven was going crazy over how to get you back._
> 
> _**ZEN:** he's been working for hours even harder than usual on tracking you down_
> 
> _**ZEN:** he felt so guilty that you'd been taken._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:**...guilty?_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** he has nothing to be guilty about...this is all my fault._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** if i hadn't offered to help a complete stranger then seven wouldn't have taken my place._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** we'd still be together right now._
> 
> _**ZEN:** after all of this..._
> 
> _**ZEN:** you truly are an amazing person, haeun. _
> 
> _**ZEN:** i admire you. _
> 
> **_ZEN:_ ** _ no...more than admire. i can't put this feeling into words. _
> 
> **_ZEN:_ ** _it's...it's like_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** she's back_
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** i have to go._
> 
> _**Haeun♡:** goodbye zen_
> 
> _**Haeun♡ has left the chatroom.** _

 

Haeun couldn't fumble with her phone fast enough as you unlocked your door and slid in. You noticed it straight away, but strangely, all you did was nod at Haeun and shut your door. You had a plastic bag in your hand, and as you reached out of it Haeun felt a bottle of water drop into her lap. 

"You must be thirsty, right? It's been a long drive." You offered her a small smile. Haeun noted that your eye makeup was smudged, and your eyes were puffy. "Drink up."

Haeun almost said something, but the greater variable was thirst. She gulped down half of the bottle in seconds and had to stop herself from smacking her lips in satisfaction. Instead, she wiped the water away as you started the engine back up.

"You don't seem like a bad person." Haeun settled back down. Your eyes flickered to meet hers in the rearview mirror. 

"I'm not."

The impending silence was almost deafening. The only sound was the whirr of the tires as you drove smoothly on the tarmac. Neither of you said anything. There was so much to be said that there was nothing. Haeun felt suffocated in the atmosphere, though, so she spoke again.

"Are you taking me to Mint Eye?" She offered, quieter this time.

"Yes." You replied, not taking your eyes off the road.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Are you usually this nosy?" You answered, irritated. You noticed that Haeun's lip twitched up slightly. So she was the type of person who could find humour in the most devastating situations.

"What?"

"Someone else said that to me a couple of days ago."

You bit your lip, feeling like you'd just taken a hit to the chest. "Are you talking about Luciel?"

"You  _know_ him?" Haeun seemed surprised, but her expression looked more satisfied than shocked.  _So I was right,_ she thought.

"Yeah. We're old friends. Guess you pissed him off proper, huh."

"Friends?" Haeun echoed. Your hands tightened on the wheel. Maybe you said too much. "Could you really call yourself his friend when you're doing... _this_?" She motioned widely with her hands.

"Hey." You snapped, but then you held yourself back. "I'm doing this  _because_ I'm his friend."

That, to Haeun, made no sense. 

To you, however, it made perfect sense. You wouldn't have believed the words you were saying right now if it wasn't for the phone call you'd gotten just an hour ago.

-

"It's me," The voice said. "Luciel."

It took every bone in your body not to draw your hand back and smash your phone onto the ground. Actually- you felt too weak to do anything at all. You didn't say anything either. Your sniffles were coming out as quiet as you could possibly manage. Your sobs were hiccupy ones too- just perfect- your first response to him, and it was a hiccup.

"You're still here." The urgency from his voice had dropped a little. "That's great. I wanted to talk to you."

_You're disgusting. I can't believe that you did this. Bring Haeun back right now._

You bit your lip as a fat tear rolled down your cheek. 

"I..." Luciel paused before he started speaking again. "I've known you for a long time now, and I just wanted to say that I trust you."

You froze. What?

"From the beginning I knew you were involved. I knew it the second I looked at your code, the second you tapped into my computer. It all pointed to you. But that wasn't what mattered. Because the whole time I was trying to fight back, I  _knew_ that you weren't the type of person who would do something like that. Mint Eye seemed like something so different to what I knew about you." He took a deep breath. "About us."

Luciel was speaking carefully, as if he'd spent a lot of time thinking about what he was going to say. There was a lot of hurt and betrayal for him to work through. But at the root of it all, he was still Luciel. The person he'd shown to you in college was a different part of him, but it was still  _him._  He cared.

"It made sense," Luciel said. "Mina, right? Your sister. I knew you had your reasons."

His voice was cheerful, but still sad. It wasn't mocking, condescending...it wasn't an 'I-one-upped-you' kind of tone. You felt your heart drop- for the first time in years, you felt relief. You were sobbing again, now, but this time you weren't trying to conceal it. You didn't feel alone anymore. It was like Luciel had taken the burden of everything off your back. You felt...light. Your lungs were working again- you could  _breathe._ Luciel was silent on the other side of the line as you cried. He knew it too. 

"Luciel..." You tried to speak through your tears- your voice was slightly warbled, but you pushed on. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't have a choice in this. I thought I did but everything is so hard-"

"Listen to me." You stopped talking as Luciel's voice cut through. "You can't keep telling yourself that. I convinced myself that for so long and-" He paused. "I convinced myself I had no choice. That I was doing what was best for myself...and for Saeran. Look where we are now." He let out a dry laugh, and you didn't say anything. You'd sussed parts of the story out on your own, with the bits and pieces that Saeran had given you, but it felt different hearing it from the other side. 

"What happened between you and Saeran?" You couldn't help but ask. Your voice was croaky, but you didn't care. 

"He didn't tell you?" Luciel sounded genuinely surprised. "I thought...no, never mind. I should've told you everything from the start. I guess...I can make up for it now."

So he did.

"You...wow..." You weren't quite sure what to say. Sons of a presidential candidate. Abusive mother. Running away from home and changing your identity to save the both of you. It sounded ridiculous, but made utterly perfect sense. Saeran had been led to believe that he was betrayed. In a way, Luciel probably felt that he'd betrayed Saeran as well. "But...you didn't have a choice, right?"

The other end of the line was silent. "No..." Luciel's voice came out low. "You're wrong. I had a choice. I made one that ended up with Saeran being where he is now. Wasn't that the worst possible outcome?"

"So you're telling me I have a choice?" You croaked, with utter disbelief. "I can help save the RFA, Saeran and my sister at the same time?" You let out a dry cough, trying to get some feeling back into your throat. You'd have to remember to buy a bottle of water- two actually. Haeun would probably be thirsty when she woke up.

"Is that what you want to do?" You could  _hear_ Luciel's grin on the other end of the line, and it made you flush.

"Well, yeah?" You scoffed. "I'm not an asshole."

"In that case, there'll be no more 'I' or 'me'. It's 'we', now." Luciel spoke. "You don't have to shoulder the burden anymore." You smiled, patting your sore eyes. 

"Well?" You unlocked your stall door, and almost had a heart attack at the sight of yourself in the mirror. You looked homeless. 

"Well...what? What is it?" Luciel asked, confused.

"You didn't ask me a single question about Haeun. If she was alright, if I hadn't locked her up and thrown away the key, whatever." You put your phone in the crook of your neck as you washed your hands.

"Oh. I figured I wouldn't need to." 

"Why is that?"

The phone was silent for a moment. "Because I trust you. I know you're not that type of person."

Your heart was pounding in your ears. You hoped Luciel didn't hear it as you took hold of your phone again and went back inside the store. "That's corny. So...tell me everything about what you plan to do."

He did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping you all liked this chapter! I wanted to keep it interesting but I also want everyone to know what kind of toll this whole ordeal can take on the Reader...and how reliable Seven is for times like that ^^  
> I also wanted to say thank you for every bookmark, kudo, comment, even if you skimmed through the story on a whim, thank you! I can't appreciate it enough. I read every single one of your comments and it gives me a lot of strength to carry on with this story ^^ I'm hoping that you'll enjoy all the chapters to come because things might pick up from here. I've been holding out on the romance side of this, and I'm sorry for that! I'll make it up soon enough!
> 
> -Sushi
> 
> p.s. oooo zen's got a cruuuuuuush


	6. Resurgence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some very suggestive themes this chapter! Nothing explicit though!

_**ONE YEAR AGO** _

After a long slew of non-stop exams, tests and assignments in college, it was only right for a student to celebrate their newfound (yet temporary) freedom before they were once again sent into a draining routine. For you, post-exam season meant being washed over with guilt over not visiting your mother in Gangnam. It had been a while since you'd seen her (Christmas, you believed), but each time you spoke to her it felt like you were left with no energy. Seeing her face meant being reminded of how empty you felt now that Mina had been gone for over a year now, and you didn't want to swallow such a bitter pill during what was supposed to be a celebratory time. It made you feel awful to leave your mother, and you knew you were being selfish. But you weren't ready to see her yet.

Your evasiveness about your plans to your classmates had aroused a lot of suspiciousness and unwanted sympathy, and now, you'd been dragged out to a small restaurant that was hidden away in some corner a few minutes away from your campus. Well, you told yourself that you had been 'dragged out', but if anything, you had come willingly, maybe even enthusiastically, once you heard that Luciel would be joining. You two had become somewhat close in the time since you'd started again at college, enough that your classmates identified you two as best friends and a 'package duo'. Not that you cared what everyone else called you. It wasn't like they were too far off the mark anyway.

"Hey, [Name]." Minjoon, one of your seniors at college and one of the less gifted programmers in the class slurred your name, waving around an empty shot glass. "You - hic - just going to let my glass stay empty like this? Come on, pour me some soju."

You reached for a bottle but Luciel, seated opposite to you, swatted your hand away. "Don't worry, I'll do it."

It was loud, but neither you nor Luciel were talking much compared to your classmates, apart from the occasional comment here and there. Luciel stuck to drinking a bottle of PhD Pepper and didn't touch a drop of alcohol. Your classmates seemed to be fairly surprised by this, which you could understand, as you were too when you first met him. He was completely abstinent from drinking, and had always been for as long as you'd known him. You'd learned not to question it.

Right now you were the same, completely sober and grilling meat on the table for everyone else. The guilt that you felt over not visiting your mother was carrying on far into the night, and now you felt much too stiff to have any fun. Luciel had picked up on your low mood and shot you a concerned look every now and then, but you weren't about to tell him about your personal problems. No, this was your own burden to carry.

It was already 2am by the time your classmates got up and meandered towards the exit. Minjoon was especially wasted, swaying side to side with every step. You and Luciel were beginning to get a little concerned. It was only when he began a heated debate with a lamppost that the two of you realised he wasn't going to make it home on his own. Reluctantly, you helped Luciel pile him into the backseat of Luciel's car (a pretty expensive one, which wasn't what you expected from a college student) and joined him in the drive back to the dorms.

The car ride was silent, as Minjoon had fallen asleep, and you were staring pensively out of the window from the passenger seat when Luciel spoke up.

"You got any plans for the break?" You almost jumped at the sound of his voice and looked over at him curiously. He was staring straight ahead as he drove, his expression unreadable. He didn't sound particularly interrogative- in fact, to anyone else, his question would've sounded like a simple attempt at making casual conversation. You knew him better than that, though.

"Just sleeping, I guess." You paused before glancing at him. "Unless you're free. We can go fuck around someplace where your maid can't catch us."

You'd meant it in the non-sexual sense, but this apparently didn't carry onto Luciel quickly enough, who almost choked on his own spit, before finally meeting your eyes, his face matching his hair. "Y-you want to do what?"

Under the dim glow of the passing streetlights, it hadn't occurred to you how red Luciel's face was yet. "You know...just do this and that. We can figure it all out later." In hindsight, your words probably made things worse, as Luciel looked like he was about to evaporate in his seat. Luckily, you'd arrived at the dorms, so Luciel brought the car to a slow stop and shakily told you to wait inside as he helped (read: carried) Minjoon back to the dorms. His strange behaviour made you curious, but for a guy who was strange since the moment you met him, it didn't particularly raise any red flags.

You were only waiting for a few minutes before Luciel hurriedly opened the car door and sat down beside you, starting the engine. He didn't meet your eyes as he spoke, but this time it was for a different reason. "W-where to?"

Leaning back into your seat, you exhaled. "I'd like to know too."

Luciel's ears perked up at your elusive response, and he peered up at you through the frame of his glasses. "You don't know?"

"No...it's not that. I just don't want to go. It's kind of weird, but I want to stay here with you." You puffed a strand of hair away from your forehead as you turned to look at Luciel, who was watching you with a complicated expression on his face.

Neither of you said anything as you took his features into account - his soft, vermillion hair that flopped over his forehead, his large golden eyes that seemed to analyse every inch of you, his sharp jaw that clenched and unclenched slowly as he stared at you. You suddenly became very aware of how attractive he really was as a blush spread across your cheeks. Not just in a physical sense, but in a comforting way. He had a presence that you didn't want to tear yourself away from - in fact, the longer you were with him, the more you didn't want to leave him.

For a year, just being in the same place as him made you feel warm, but it was now that you were realising how much more you really wanted. You didn't just want to sit next to him. You wanted to hold him, to feel his physical warmth against yours. You wanted him to be yours.

Luciel was the first to tear his gaze away, turning so he was facing the steering wheel and driving slowly. This time, you noticed that his face was pink all over- normally you'd tease him, but you couldn't now. Not when you were the exact same. "I-I can't. I have to get back to my maid. She...gets lonely without me."

Holding back a scoff, you propped a leg up on his dashboard, which you knew he'd always berate you for. He was silent this time, though, with no whining about how you'd get dirt on his 'baby'. "The maid that you hate so much? And always complain about? And always try to avoid when possible?" Luciel opened his mouth to retaliate, but closed it again.

Out of nowhere, you felt a burst of confidence and leaned closer to him so that he would get a noseful of your perfume. "I'm just asking for one night."

Luciel seemed hesitant, but pulled into an alleyway nearby anyway. He pulled the brakes and let out a long, punctuated breath before turning to face you.

His gaze had seemed to change completely - he was watching you intensely, searching your face for any hints of uncertainty. A tingle went down your spine as your eyes focused on his. "Do you really know what you're asking for?"

Your breath almost hitched in your throat, but you managed to speak without sounding like you were being choked. "I know exactly what I'm asking for." You stopped before speaking again as an afterthought. "I know you do too."

It seemed that this was the push Luciel needed. He nodded slowly, before taking his glasses off and placing them in the cupholder. Excitement built up in your stomach as he reached out, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear gently. "Get in the backseat."

-

_Beep beep._

You awoke groggily to the sound of several text messages at once. It took a while for you to open your eyes, but when you did, you noticed Luciel's sleeping (and very much naked) figure beside you in the backseat, which was another reason why you were thankful that his car windows were tinted black. Glancing down, you noted that Luciel had cloaked you with his own jacket, covering you up, which brought a small, bashful smile to your face. The night before had been a whole new experience for the both of you. Now, you weren't sure where the two of you stood, but you knew that something like this was a long time coming. 'A moment of weakness' is what you would've liked to call it, but that wasn't the case at all. You both had wanted this for as long as you could remember. Not just making love, but taking a step in a different direction together. The right direction.

_Beep beep._

Another, more urgent sounding notification roused you from your reverie, and you reached over into Luciel's cupholder, where your phone and his discarded glasses were. You brought it up to your face, squinting at the bright light. It was only 6am according to the clock, but the time wasn't what immediately caught your eye. 

> _**[4:42am] Mother:** Where are you? Please answer my calls._ 

You brought a hand up to your face, rubbing your eyes and blinking a few times. Were you reading this right? Why was your mother texting you all of a sudden, not to mention at 4 in the morning? Opening your messages, you checked the full conversation. 

> _**[5:14am] Mother:** You're usually up at this hour, right? Please let me know once you've read this._
> 
> _**[5:15am] Mother:** There has been an update to Mina's case. She was spotted two days ago._

_What?_ You hastily scrolled through the rest of the messages, as your heart pounded in your ear. Gripping Luciel's jacket, you felt your brow break out into a cold sweat at the newer texts you'd received.

> _**[5:16am] Mother:** _ _The police have stopped looking. They couldn't find her at all. Not even a trace of her._
> 
> _**[5:16am] Mother:** Please, [Name]. You have to do something. I know you can. _

Gathering your clothes, you dressed as hastily as you could without waking Luciel up, who was sleeping soundly. A chance that you'd be able to see Mina again was something you couldn't pass up, even if it meant leaving Luciel behind. All you knew was that you had to get to work and find what the police couldn't, but guilt still washed over you as you tied up your boots.

You glanced over again at Luciel's sleeping figure. He looked so peaceful, unaware of the turmoil you were going through right now. But this was your own problem, and you were never the type to involve other people in your issues. You paused before tugging Luciel's jacket and draping it over him. His brows seemed to furrow, but they relaxed almost instantly as you silently apologised to him, before opening his car door and slipping away. 

_I'm sorry, Luciel._

_**NOW** _

At this point, you were wondering how you hadn't gone insane yet. Haeun had turned your car into her own personal karaoke booth and was singing along to the songs you'd put on to ease the silence, which, now, was beginning to look much more appealing in contrast to her vocal torture. Currently, she was belting out a faulty-sounding rendition of Ring Ding Dong by Shinee. The song was normally one of your favourites, but after hearing Haeun's own version, you weren't so sure anymore.

"Hey. Hey- can you cut it out, please?" You turned off the music as you glared at Haeun through the rearview mirror, who stopped mid-belt and gave you an equally annoyed stink eye.  _This_ is what Luciel had to put up with for days? You were surprised he kept his integrity. You weren't a murderer but,  _man_ , this girl was really making you consider a life of crime.

"I was just trying to pass the time. We've been in here for hours, I'm hungry and I'm ti-i-ired..." Haeun trailed off, whining. She sounded a lot like Saeran at that moment, whenever he tried to drag you off your computer after days of working non-stop to eat something. It brought a small smile to your face, but you hid it as you turned to look outside.

"We're going to be meeting up with Luciel in a moment. Can you be patient? I still have a knife in my pocket if you can't." Haeun seemed to ignore your empty threat and perked up at the sound of Luciel's name, shutting up immediately and reclining back in her chair.

"And please put your seatbelt back on. I'm not responsible for cleaning up your guts if you go flying out of my windshield." You felt like you were babysitting a 2-year-old, and suddenly you felt much more apologetic and grateful towards Saeran, who had been taking care of you for a good year. Sure, he complained a lot. But he was still good-natured, even if he did have this weird longing to murder his brother, who you happened to be in love with.

A blush crept onto your face as you registered what you were thinking about, and you gripped the steering wheel tightly. This wasn't the time or the place to be confessing your love for Luciel. You had more things to worry about.

The drive continued for another half-hour before your phone lit up with a call from Luciel. You answered it, albeit a little too eagerly. "Hello?"

"[Name]?" Your heart pounded at the sound of his voice. "Are you at the meeting point?"

"I'm almost there." You responded, your voice shaking a little. Were you really this nervous talking to him? You felt like a high school girl with a silly crush. "I'll be about 10 more minutes. Have you got your equipment?"

"Hey. You know me, I'd never leave the house without it." You let out a nervous laugh as Luciel chuckled on the other end of the line. "It's all in the boot of my baby. We can get started as soon as we meet up."

"Alright. I'll see you then."

You went to press the 'END' button, but Haeun cut into the conversation before you could. "Luciel! Are you there?"

Luciel was silent for a few seconds, taken-aback by Haeun's sudden appearance. You looked over at her warily. "I'll, er...see you later, [Name]. Tell Haeun that I hope she's well." You tried to maintain a neutral expression as Haeun's face dropped and she slunk back, pulling her seatbelt over her chest in defeat.

Was this really the same girl that Saeran handpicked to run an RFA party  _and_ become his assistant? You felt a pang of irritation, but that was quickly washed away by guilt. Saeran had already told you he'd noticed that Haeun had feelings for Luciel based on how close they'd gotten in the chatroom. Of course she'd be upset over being shunned by him. Just the thought of Luciel doing the same to you made your stomach churn. You couldn't understand  _why_ Luciel was acting so aloof towards her, though. Sure, she was pretty annoying, but there was nothing about her that made you want to treat her the same way Luciel was doing. Perhaps you'd be able to ask him about it later.

Or, you realised, as you drew closer and closer to the familiar headlights of Luciel's parked car, perhaps you'd have the chance to ask him sooner than you thought.


End file.
